open wide zippered pouch: DIY tutorial

06.25.2012

Doesn’t it ever get annoying digging through a zippered pouch? I love being able to see what’s inside and what I’m searching for. I spotted this little pouch the other day and had to make something similar.

I also made a bunch of sizes, but today I’ll show you the small size, next time, I’ll share the medium and large sizes (not pictured) so you can make all three!

Materials:

fabric, 1/4 yard would be plenty

zipper, at least 10″ long or longer

thread

interfacing of your choice, I used Pellon 101SF, or skip it all together

(Optional) Fuse on or baste on interfacing of your choice to main exterior pieces.

Lay one exterior piece right side up, lay zipper (teeth side down) on top with the zipper pull at the left – aligning zipper tape edge to the raw edges of the top of the exterior piece. Tuck in pull side zipper end, just bend it 90 degrees. You may choose to sew it down, or just pin it in place like I did. Make sure the metal bit of the zipper is just about 3/4″ away from the left edge. Layer lining piece on top, right side down on top of zipper. Pin and baste, you can skip this part, but basting really does help things from slipping around too much.

Use your zipper foot and a 1/4″ seam allowance. Sew over basting stitches, but not all the way to the end.

At about 1″ before the edge of the fabric, stop, backstitch, and then pull the zipper away from the seam, bending it down out of the way, in towards the fabrics. The whole point is to pull it out of the way so it doesn’t get caught in the seam. Continue stitching along the fabrics until the edge.

Flip so that the fabrics are wrong sides facing and press.

Lay the remaining exterior piece right side up, lay zipper (with fabrics attached) on top – teeth side down with the zipper pull at the right. Tuck in pull side zipper end, just bend it 90 degrees, just like before, making sure the metal bit of the zipper is just over 3/4″ away from the right edge this time. Lay lining piece right side down on top. Pin and baste. Using the zipper foot and a 1/4″ seam allowance sew over basting stitches, but not all the way to the end just like before.

Again, about 1″ before the edge of the fabric, stop, backstitch, and then pull the zipper away from the seam, bending it down, in towards the fabrics. Continue stitching along the fabrics until the edge. Flip so that the fabrics are wrong sides facing and press. Do NOT topstitch along either side of the zipper at this point, we’ll be doing that in another step towards the end. This is what you’ve got so far:

Next. flip so that the exterior fabrics are right sides together and the lining pieces are right sides together (with the zipper hidden in the middle).

Open the zipper at least half way at this point!

Pin and sew around all edges leaving approximately a 4″ opening in the bottom (or side) of the lining. You’ll be using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Be sure to get close to the metal zipper ends on one side, and bending the zipper end down into the pouch on the other side making sure it doesn’t get caught in the seam.

Box the corners by pinching each corner together and aligning each corresponding side/bottom seam, one corner at a time. Use a ruler and water soluble marker to mark a line perpendicular to the side seam 3.5″ long.

Sew along that line, trim the seam allowance. Do this for all four corners (two exterior, two lining).

Pull pouch right side out through the opening you left in the lining. Tuck in raw edges of opening. Sew opening in lining closed using a small seam allowance by machine (sewing close to the fold as in the above picture) or hand stitch the opening closed. Push lining into exterior. Press around entire opening and carefully along the zipper.

Topstitch using a slightly longer stitch length (and taking your time) around the entire opening of the pouch.

Trim the zipper tail so that you have about 1″ of space past the pouch’s side (be careful not to accidentally slide the zipper pull off the zipper!).

For making the zipper pull tab, take a 2″x3″ piece of fabric.

Press all edges in by 1/2″, slip over zipper end.

Fold in half, sew around all four edges of the tab.

That’s it! Enjoy your super functional pouch and have fun being able to find the things you need easily!!!

This is a great tutorial. I love the little tab of fabric you use to finish off the zipper. I will have to try this the next time I make a zippered pouch. It looks so neat and well…finished, if that makes sense.

Oh my, I love finding fun new zipper bag ideas, and this one is COOL (so are your fabrics – YUMM!) Thanks for the tute – I want to try this! I especially like that there are no raw edges – not every designer makes the extra effort to ensure the inside of their bags is finished properly 😀

Anna this is awesome! You just seriously made my day. I have been sewing since I was a little girl and still am so clueless, but your tutorials are so easy to follow and helpful! I am going to be making some for sure.

Thanks for another awesome tutorial, Anna! You’ve done soooooo much for sewists all over the world… How awesome is that? I hope the ones that follow your free tutes also buy your wonderful patterns. I carry your 241 tote every single day (in various “incarnations” as my purse, and I love that pattern!!!!! Thanks for being so wonderful!

These are so cute. Thanks for the awesome tutorial. Ohhhh I could put handles on either side and it could be a small purse for a little girl. Ohhh I like that idea. I have a birthday coming up for my great neice. Thanks again.quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

I DID IT I did it I did it!! And it’s fantastic! Thank you for a most excellent tutorial – I made a bag tonight and it is darn near perfect! I was nervous about the zipper (even though I’ve made dozens of zipper bags) but it was no more difficult than a regular installation I can’t wait to try the other sizes I blogged about it today if you want to take a peek – I linked to both of your tutorials 😀 THANK YOU!!

Thank you for this tutorial!! I found this while looking for a completely different bag, but decided to make this style anyway. I LOVED it! Super easy. Just finished making two to gift to a friend, and I’ll be making plenty more. 😀

Thank you for this tutorial! I want to make one to use as a project bag for my sock knitting. I also bought some Hello! Kitty fabric at Fabric.com. I was looking for Flea Market Fancy, and needed a little somethin’-somethin’ to get the free shipping.

I am a beginner and I made 5 of these (small and medium) bags in the last week as gifts. Your instructions and pictures are excellent. Thank you for taking the time to share this. Now I just need to make one for myself! J

Thanks for the great tutorial. I made my first bag in the medium size with reproduction 30’s fabric. It turned out very cute and didn’t take long to make. With a 2 year old, I am all about fast projects! I will be making these for Christmas gifts for my family and friends. Thanks again.

I’m so happy to see your post. I was trying to work through a similar project in my mind before I came across it and your tutorial helped me to figure out the step I was missing. I love your finished product.

I just made one of these (the medium size) last night!!! Thank you SO MUCH for the tutorial. Mine came out PERFECT!!! I was planning for it to be a christmas gift, but think I’ll keep it for myself. One of these will make an awesome snack bag(must be separate from lunch) for my daughter to take to kindergarten. As soon as I get some more zippers I’m making more!!! Thanks for sharing everything that you do. You blog is always really inspirational, your projects are useful and your instructions and tutorials are easy to follow and accurate!

Loved making this! Although (through my own fault) I made mine SUPER easy to see into because I had to widen the all box corners :P. I could see myself coming up with a million uses for these, thanks so much for the easy to follow tutorial!

Thank you so much for this amazing tutorial! it gave me the confidance I needed to try sewing in a zipper. You made it so easy for me. I gave you total credit and blogged about it, something this good just has to be shared!

Have to say thank you for this tutorial. I have made 4 of these now and keep thinking up new reasons to make more. They’ve become my absolute favorite pouch (LOVE how wide it opens up). So a great big huge THANK YOU for sharing your ideas and skills with the wide world!

I am on pouch the third – the first two were gifts to two delighted friends. This one is off to a 7-year-old birthday girl filled with markers, scissors, and candy. What a great design and a super-clear tutorial! Thank you!

Just made my first OWP! This was also my very first zipper (note to self: must buy zipper foot!). I muddled thru the zipper w/o the right foot but it worked. It was confusing (not the instructions, they were very clear!). My lack of zipper foresight….but after I got that first one made….BAM, it all sunk in! I love it!Thank you so much for sharing. I plan to try some of your other tutes as well!

I have made hundreds of zippered pouches and always struggle with the ends of the zipper being enclosed in the side seam creating a big lump. This was a great tutorial and I will use your technique in the future. Thanks so much. Shirley

HI, I have made already made 3 sets of these pouches for 3 diff ladies in my life,including my mom. I need ure help now, my mom has requested me to make a pouch of a certain size. She wants it 15″ wide , 12″ high & the boxed corners should b 6″ wide.I would like to know what measurements to cut to make this size,specially the height, do i add 6″ to the 12 ” of height & when the boxed corner will b cut for 6″ then the height will come back to 12″ as needed for the size. I hope I ‘m making sense.Pls help asap. Love ure tutorials, so clear & easy to follow. hope to hear from u soon. TC

I made a couple of these pouches and love them! I did it slightly different as I used laminated material for the inside lining so they are a wet bag. This way when I travel this coming July, I can use these with my lotions, etc and if they happen to leak, the bag will easily wipe clean. I made one into a diaper changing tote with a small changing pad as well. I posted my bags in my blog (giving full credit for the tutorial to this site and adding a link to the tutorial as well). I hope you do not mind my doing this. I did not do any “how to” on my post as I stated I used your tutorial. All I posted were my pictures. Here is my post if you would like to verify: http://multitaskingmamajd.blogspot.com/2013/05/open-wide-zippered-pouch.htmlThank you for your tutorial! I plan to make more bags in the future as I just love them!

I’m confused about this step:“Pull pouch right side out through the opening you left in the lining. Push lining into exterior. Sew opening in lining closed using a small seam allowance. Press.”

I understand you’re pulling everything right-side out through the opening and then pushing the lining to nestle inside the exterior…but then all of a sudden we have to sew the opening closed? : Does that involve taking the lining back out of the exterior? I’m confused about how to sew the lining closed (won’t you see the stitches?) and what exactly to press…??

Sorry for these relatively simple questions…I am a beginner and the picture doesn’t show exactly how the stitches are being made! Thanks for any help you can provide!

Sorry Grace! Just updated the directions now. Just flipped those two bits around: You’ll stitch the opening closed, then tuck the whole lining into the pouch. Then press around the whole opening (plus the whole pouch might be kind of wrinkled from pulling it inside out).

Tuck in the raw edges of the opening. You can then sew the opening closed by hand (where you won’t see the stitches) or by machine sewing really close to the fold of the opening. (The picture shows me sewing it by machine, it’s how I close all my linings, but it’s totally up to you. If the stitching bothers you then do and invisible hand stitch to close it up.

Thank you so much for such a clear and easy to follow tutorial. I made 2 this afternoon with waterproof linings to use as makeup bags – great for presents. Also tried a quilted exterior – the possibilities are endless!

Fantastic tutorial and photos Anna! It’s wonderful that we have a internet community of sewers so willing to share their knowledge. I just started sewing again since purchasing my dream sewing/embroidery machine: Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000. I’m practicing making small cosmetic bags first from a tutorial from Sweet Bee Buzzings that is similar to yours that I’m adding decorative and embroidery stitches and designs to. I love your bags too with the wider zipper openings. I have to try them too. Thanks so much! I’m a follower now.

Thank you for this awesome tutorial!Did bookmark this a long time ago, today my first is sewn – very pleased with the result and your tutorial!!Why ever sew any other pouch than this one?Perfect with three sizes too! I did the smallest one this time, but there will be more of them in all sizes!

Anna, I am SO excited to make like a million of these! Ok, maybe not a million. But close. We’ll start with one of each size? It’s just what I was looking for to help organize so many things. Toy cars. Travel meds/vitamis while we’re on roadtrip vacation. My daughter’s very many hair supplies…. etc… Did you ever post the fabric requirements for the medium and large bags? I couldn’t find on your blog… but I’d love help with your design? Thanks for the tutorial!!!

Oh, and then I went back and read and saw the UPDATE info… ya. So Thank You! And next time I promise to read better. (well, as good as I can with 2 crazy toddlers of my own running circles around me). =)

Anna, I am still having problems:(. When layering the exterior, zipper and lining I cannot even baste them together straight! I have the zipper foot on my machine and the zipper pull to the left as your instructions but this does not leave 1/4 inch for the machine to sew a seam. The machine just sticks at the zipper pull cannot sew past it. What am I doing wrong?

Sorry you’re having zipper woes! Try closing the zipper until you get to a certain point, then lift your presser foot and wiggle the zipper open, then continue sewing. That should allow you to get past the zipper’s pull. Hope that helps!

Actually Anna, I can’t even get the get past the zipper pull to get started! I’ve finally managed to get it in By opening the zipper so I don’t have to sew near the zipper pull at all:). I also found that my machine doesn’t feed very well unless I am sewing to the right of the. Zipper – not sure why but it worked! Thanks for your tute and your reply – can I like to a Flickr pic when it’s complete? Lxx

Just made my first Open Wide Zip today and I’m so happy with the way it turned out. Your technique for making the zipper extend beyond the outside of the pouch was easy to follow, and makes it so easy to see inside the pouch when open.Thank you so very much for posting this tutorial!

I used your tutorial last week and was delighted with the result. Your instructions are clean and straightforward and my bag is gorgeous. I am sure this is the beginning or (yet another) obsession. Thank you.

My daughter needed a fabric pouch for kindergarten (tomorrow sniff sniff!) & I found this tutorial which seemed so perfect for school supplies. She picked out the fabric, I learned how to sew my first zipper and do my first box pleats, and we are both thrilled that 1) all her supplies fit inside (made the medium) and 2) how adorable it is. Thank you! XOXO

I am so glad I discovered your blog! This tutorial is perfect for a sewing noob such as myself. I’ve already made 5 of these things, each time feeling like I had performed some kind of magic trick: “ta-daaa you just installed a zipper! BOO-YAH!”

I just found this tutorial today! I wanted to thankyou for posting this! I just made a little bag tonight and I’m so happy with it. I still really like making little things for my grown girls and I know they will love them!

thanks a lot – i have just finished this cute bag in not even an hour and even with a patched exterior! the hardes part for me was the tiny patch for the zipper end. i hate this small scale sewing. but i made it! thanks again for the very instructional tutorial. greetings from germany, kat

Anna, I love this bag it is wonderful and your pattern/instructions are so well written. I have lost count how many I have made:) I love them so much I have a hard time giving them away.thanks for sharing. Would it be possible for me to sell these, only small scale, just to help pay for more fabric? I totally understand if not, I just wondered……..thanks laurie

The picture tutorial is just perfect for a novice to follow. I am so very happy to have come across your blog. My eight year old son is happy to have his own personalised pencil pouch. Thank you for sharing.

I saw your pouches on Instagram, and had to try one. Even with your excellent tutorial, I managed to goof it up a bit, but still like it a lot and plan to make more. I tried reading it from my phone, and always seem to mess up, since the instructions are so small. Next time, I’ll print it out.

Dear Anna, after finishing your Snappy Manicure Wallet earlier this week (great!) I just finished my first Open Wide Zippered Pouch! I am so proud, another success. It came out truly beautiful. I feel really comfortable with your instructions, everything is clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much. I just love the way you insert the zipper here – no bulky end or edges. Do you think I (advenved beginner now…) am ready for you Super Tote now?
Best regards,
Claudia

Hi Karen,
It’s up there in the instructions, just in case you missed it:
“At about 1″ before the edge of the fabric, stop, backstitch, and then pull the zipper away from the seam, bending it down out of the way, in towards the fabrics. The whole point is to pull it out of the way so it doesn’t get caught in the seam. Continue stitching along the fabrics until the edge.”

Thanks so much for this amazing tutorial! I’ve made a few of these now and have been playing with variations like adding a leather bottom. Your details are so helpful, I’ve bookmarked this and open it every time that I make one, they make perfect gifts! Thanks again!!

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